My “Before”

Thursday 11 June 2026 · London

I have had the same question in my head for a couple of weeks, so I am writing it down before I talk myself out of it.

School has finished and summer has started. For some reason, that has made me think more about how I was born. I know the basic story and I have always known it. But lately the basic story has not felt like enough. It tells me what happened, but not what it was like for the people who were there. Stories have a “before”. I have never really looked at mine.

If I only think about this, I get distracted and the question goes away. If I mention it to friends, they are nice about it, but nobody really knows what to say. That is fair. I do not really know what to say either.

So I am going to use this blog to write down the questions while I still have them. Maybe I will find answers. Maybe I will just get better at asking.

I have a long summer ahead. I think some of it is going to be about this.

Let’s see how it goes.

— D.